What are the parts of an appraisal?

A home purchase
is
the largest
transaction
some of us
will
ever
encounter.
It doesn't matter if it's
where you raise your family,
a second vacation home or
an investment, the purchase of real property is
a complex financial transaction that requires multiple people working in concert to pull it all off.

To learn more about appraising, click here to see a short video or call us today to talk about your specific property.

You're probably familiar with the parties taking part in the transaction.
The most recognizable face in the transaction is the real estate agent.
Then, the bank provides the financial capital needed to finance the deal.
The title company ensures that all details of the sale are completed and that the title is clear to transfer to the buyer from the seller.

So who makes sure the real estate is consistent with the amount being paid?
This is where the appraiser comes in. We provide an unbiased opinion of what a buyer could expect to pay - or a seller receive - for a parcel of real estate, where both buyer and seller are informed parties. A professional Florida licensed appraiser from A Good Appraisal Service will ensure you as an interested party are informed.

Appraisals begin with the inspection

Our first responsibility at A Good Appraisal Service is to inspect the property to determine its true status.
We must see aspects of the property hands on, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location, amenities, etc., to ensure they indeed exist and are in the shape a typical buyer would expect them to be.
To ensure the stated square footage has not been misrepresented and convey the layout of the property, the inspection often entails creating a sketch of the floor plan.
Most importantly, the appraiser identifies any obvious features - or defects - that would have an impact on the value of the property.

Back at the office, we use two or three approaches when determining the value of real property:
a paired sales analysis, a replacement cost calculation, and an income approach when rental properties are prevalent.

Cost Approach

This is where the appraiser uses information on local building costs, labor rates and other elements to determine how much it would cost to replace the property being appraised. This estimate usually sets the maximum on what a property would sell for. It's also the least used method.

Analyzing Comparable Sales

Appraisers can tell you a lot about the neighborhoods in which they work.
We thoroughly understand the value of certain features to the people of that area.
Then, the appraiser looks up recent transactions in close proximity to the subject and finds properties which are 'comparable' to the subject in question. Using knowledge of the value of certain items such as
upgraded appliances, additional bathrooms, an additional living area, quality of construction, lot size, we adjust the comparable properties so that they are more accurately in line with the features of subject property.

For example, if the comparable has an extra half bath that the subject doesn't, the appraiser may subtract the value of that half bath from the sales price of the comparable home.

But, in the case where the subject has something such as an extra half bath that a comparable doesn't have, the appraiser might add the value of that bath to the comparable property.

In the end, the appraiser reconciles the adjusted sales prices of all the comps and then derives an opinion of what the subject could sell for.
The sales comparison approach to value is typically awarded the most consideration when an appraisal is for a real estate exchange.

Valuation Using the Income Approach

A third method of valuing approach to value is sometimes used when a neighborhood has a measurable number of renter occupied properties.
In this situation, the amount of income the property yields is factored in with income produced by similar properties to derive the current value.

Reconciliation

Examining the data from all approaches, the appraiser is then ready to state an estimated market value for the subject property.
The estimate of value on the appraisal report is not necessarily what's being paid for the property even though it is likely the best indication of what a property could sell for in an open market.
There are always mitigating factors such as the seller's desire to get out of the property, urgency or 'bidding wars' that may adjust the final price up or down.
Regardless, the appraised value is often employed as a guideline for lenders who don't want to loan a buyer more money than they could get back in the event they had to put the property on the market again.
Here's what it all boils down to: An appraiser from A Good Appraisal Service will help you attain the most fair and balanced property value, so you can make profitable real estate decisions.